The Basle Committee on Banking Supervision issued for comment on October 14, 1998, a proposed sound practices paper on loan accounting, credit risk disclosure and related matters. Developed by the Basle Committee's Task Force on Accounting Issues, the paper complements the Basle Committee's Core Principles, which outline the minimum requirements for a supervisory system in any country to be effective.

Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Committee usually meets at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basle, Switzerland, where its permanent Secretariat is located.

The proposal, "Sound Practices for Loan Accounting, Credit Risk Disclosure and Related Matters," can be obtained from the BIS Web site at http://www.bis.org. A copy of the proposal may also be requested from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Public Information Center at (800) 276-6003 or (703) 562-2200.

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Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 1933 to restore public confidence in the nation's banking system. The FDIC insures deposits at the nation's 10,712 banks and savings associations and it promotes the safety and soundness of these institutions by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to which they are exposed.

FDIC press releases and other information are available on the Internet at www.fdic.gov
, and may also be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center (800-276-6003 or (703) 562-2200).